Signal for cars and vessels



(No Model.)

0. G. KNIPE.

SIGNAL FOR OARSAND VBSSELS.

N0. 271,581. Patented Jan. 30,1883.

' m VEJVTOR .lttorney )VITJVESSES QZ /Q 040. .740.

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themes STATES PATENT @rrron.

OLIVER C. KNIPE, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNAL FOR CARS AND'VES SELS.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,581, datedJanuary 30, 1883.

Application filed J nne 12, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER 0. KN1PE,acitizen of the United States,residing at Norristown, in the county of Montgomery and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Signals,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform a part of this specification, like letters of reference indicatinglike parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to a signal adapted to be used on the cars, usuallythe rear car, of railroad-trains, though I do not restrict myself tothis specific use, limiting myself only by the matter set forth'in thedescription and claims; and to this end myinvention consists of such anarrangement of parts as to automatically open and close a series ofslats, when a train or vessel is in motion, which alternately permit orprevent the transmission of light from a lamp or equivalent placedbehind them, thus causing a number of flashes, by which an engineer orother person behind said trainof cars may know the speed at which it ismoving.

My invention further consists in a rod or bar having two panes ofcolored transparentor translucent material secured to its upperextremity, by means of which, when the rod is raised or loweredautomatically by a gearwheel engaging with a lug on said rod, differentcolors are interposed between the light and an observer, according asthe train or vessel is moving forward or backward.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, of which- Figure lis aside elevation, with part broken away,of my device, showing the color-rod in the act of being shifted. Fig. 2is an enlarged front elevation, with part broken away, of a lamp-caseadapted to be used in the operation of my invention, showing the slatsopen. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of a rod reciprocated byan eccentric and communicating slow motion by means of a pawl at itsupper end. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the lower portion of acolor-rod adapted to reverse the color of the light with a variation inthe direction of motion of the train. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectioncolor-frame, showing the distinct colors of glass.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, A is the axle of therear car-wheels. On the wheel is secured a circular eccentric flange, G,though this may be cast solid with the car-wheel.

B is a gear-wheel or pinion, secured also in any suitable mannerconcentrically with the axis of the wheel.

A circular band surrounds the eccentric flange, and is connected to arod, which is pivoted to another rod, as at D, the latter sliding insuitable bearings, and having on its upper end a pawl, E, engaging withthe cog-Wheel F once in each revolution of the car wheel or axle, andthus imparting a slow circular motion to wheel F.

On the inner face of this wheel F, which may be placed on the side ofthe case P, is a pin, near its circumference, which oncein eachrevolution of said wheel raises the rod a, thus opening or closing theslats b b b 1), according as a is on one or the other side of the slats.Any suitable check may be used, as at g, to prevent the wheel F movingfarther than desired by reason of the shock.

K is a bar sliding in suitable bearings, to

the upper end of which is secured a rectaugular frame, in which areplaced vertically two panes of differen tly-colored glass or othertransparent or translucent material, and as the rod is moved up or downwith a change of direction of motion the one or other color will beinterposed between the light and the observer. To the end of this bar K,on its side or in a slot, is pivoted a button or lug, shaped somewhat'asshown in the drawings, Fig. 4, and allowed a slight amplitude ofvibration, so that when the rod has been resting at its maximum height,held there by the pear-shaped button (1, a reversal of motion throws upthe curved extremity of e, which strikes the lower part of d, driving itfrom the notch and liberating the color-rod K, which will fall to itslowest position, where it will remain until motion is reversed.

The manner in which the slats are closed is clearly shown in Fig. 2,small pins 0 on the rod or wire a serving to lift the slats, which maybe made to open automatically by attaching a weight or spring to a.

' The device may be variously constructed and still be within the scopeof my invention. The gear B and eccentric C may be secured to the axleinside of the wheel, and instead of the panes of glass or other materialattached to the color-rod I may wind flexible glass, colored gelatine,or other substance upon two cylinders, and by a rack and pinion wind theupper or lower cylinder, respectively, thus exposing one or the othercolor of the transparent or translucent flexible material. By such anarrangement the lamp would be in a smaller compass and a neaterappearance presented.

The operation of my device is as follows: Suppose the train, of which 0is the caboose or rear car, to be moving in the direction in- (licntedby the arrow. The wheel B strikes the button 0 and lifts the color-roduntil a notch, 11, in its side slips above the button d, where it isheld, the button being prevented Swinging by a lug, m, on its bearing.Thus thelower color is exposed, indicating safety, or motion forwardsayit is green. Meanwhile the rod M is being reciprocated by the eccentric,and the pawl, by pushing the wheel F-say one cog each timefinally, afterthe wheel F has made one revolution, closes the slats. The number offlashes caused by the opening and closing of these slats may beadjusted, any number to the minute, by varying the number of cogs in F;but it is preferred to make them uniform, so that a schedule can beprepared, and an engineer or station-operator be governed thereby-saythirty flashes in a minute would indicate a speed of thirty miles anhour. The only step necessary to determine the speed at which any trainwith this device attached is moving is to look at a watch and count thenumber of flashes. Now, suppose motion to be reversed. WVhen the trainstops the slats areopened by theweighted rod a, and indicate by thesteady glare of the light that the train is standing still, and signifycaution. When motion reverses, the gearwheel B engages with button 6 andknocks d loose from the notch in K, thus causing the rod to drop andinterposing the upper pane of glass or other materialsay redwhich mayindicate danger.

Thus is attained a perfectly automatic device, which is at once aspeed-indicator and a monitor of the direction of motiontwo importantdesiderata in railroading.

I do not desire to confine myself to the specific use for my devicedescribed herein, and for which I pray protection in thehereinafter-specitied claims, as it is obvious my device may be used inother ways than the one particularly set'forth. For example, my devicemay be placed on any moving body driven by a shaft-as steamboats,ferry-boats, &c.- and may secure useful and desirable results in thatthe flash-light as developed by my slats would surely indicate motionand the color-bar direction of motion, thus avoiding possible collisionsand much uncertainty about harbors or streams durin g the night.

The device can be easily adjusted so as to show the speed of a boat byallowing for slip of the propeller or propellers, and adjusting the cogson wheel F, actuated by the pawl accordingly.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim andsecure by Letters Patent is-- 1. A signal for indicating the directionof motion of the train or vessel to which it is attached, consisting oftwo sections of differently-colored transparent or translucent materialoperated by mechanism deriving motion from an axle or shaft, so that oneof two colors is brought before alight asthe direction of motion varies,and remains fixed until a subsequent variation of motion, the color ofthe light transmitted through said colored material determining thedirection of motion.

2. As a means for indicating the speed of a car or vessel, thecombination, substantially as described, of one or more slats pivoted torock in suitable stationary bearings carried on the car or vessel, topermit or prevent the transmission of rays from a light at one sidethereof, with mechanism connecting such pivoted slat or slats with apower-driven rotating axle or shaft which operates to continuously rocksaid slat or slats in their stationary hearing during the travelingmovement of the car or vessel, substantially as set forth.

3. As a means for indicating the speed of a car or vessel, thecombination of one or more slats pivoted to rock in hearings in front ofa light carried by the car or vessel, to per mit or prevent thetransmission of the rays of such light, with mechanism opera-ting tocontinuously rock the slat or slats during the traveling movement of thetrain, substantially as described.

4. In a signal, the combination, with a slat or slats adapted to beopened and closed by motion derived from an axle or shaft, of a lightplaced on one side thereof, and two sectionsofditferently-colored glass(or other tran sparent or translucent material) placed on the other'side, operated by the axle or shaft, so that a different color israised before the light as the direction of motion varies.

5. In a signal, the combination of one or more pivoted slats adapted tobe operated by mechanism deriving motion from a shaft or axle, and toindicate by the number of flashes transmitted from a light placed behindthe slat or slats the rate of motion, and a shifting frame containingtwo sections ofdifl'erently-colored glass, said frame being adapted tobe raised or lowered before a light, so as to indicate by the color ofthe light transmitted the direction of motion.

6. A car-signal consisting. of a rod, M, actnated by the car wheel oraxle, and commu- I nicating slow motion to a wheel, F,'whieh opens anumber of slats, b b b b, in combination with a lamp, and a. color-bar,K, having secured to its upper end two panes of differscribingwitnesses.

OLIVER G. KNIPE.

5 ently-colored glass, all operating substantially Witnesses:

in the manner and for the purpose described. A. ONEILL, In testimonywhereof I have hereunto sub- A. G. LONG.

scribed my name in the presence of two sub-

